


For Love

by Julie_Horwitz



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-24
Updated: 2014-03-24
Packaged: 2018-01-16 19:50:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1359703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Julie_Horwitz/pseuds/Julie_Horwitz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A missing scene from my story "A New Destiny". Anakin and Padmé adjust to their new situation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For Love

**Disclaimer:**

The following is a work of fanfiction. All characters and situations belonging to the Star Wars saga are copyrighted to Lucasfilm Ltd. Everything else, including original characters, is of my own creation. 

**Author's Notes:**

This is a missing scene from my story "A New Destiny," my what-if? for "Revenge of the Sith." While it is not necessary to have read "A New Destiny" before this one, it would help the reader understand the events leading up to this scene. However, you do not need to read this in order to fully enjoy "A New Destiny."  
This story has adult content. It is not recommended for younger readers.  
All questions and comments may be sent to me at my e-mail address. Please see my author profile for details.  
Thank you and I hope you enjoy the story. 

 

 

 

**_For Love_**

by 

Julie Horwitz 

 

Determining that it was impossible to get any cleaner, Padmé shut off the water in the shower. Mustafar had left her feeling incredibly dirty, both physically and emotionally. It was a relief knowing that she had washed the filth from her body. The less traces of the incident there were, the better. She wanted to put the entire episode behind her. She had more important things to concentrate on.

Like keeping Anakin safe. 

Her thoughts turned to her husband, whom she had left sleeping in the ship's quarters. She felt guilty for leaving him alone even though there was just a door between them. He was in so much pain and only seemed to find comfort in her arms. (The fact that the pain was of his own making was irrelevant.) He was only sleeping now because he had cried himself into exhaustion. (It was her fault. From now on, she would have to be careful about what she said around him. Certain truths would be best kept from him altogether.) She hadn't wanted to leave his side, but the need to cleanse herself had been too strong to ignore. With any luck, he would not wake up until she had returned to the bed.

She opened the stall door and reached for the towel she had left out for herself. She gave herself a thorough rubdown before wrapping it around her swollen body as best she could. As expected, the towel did not completely close. She had been too large for months.

She placed her hands on her belly. How much time did she actually have left before giving birth? She knew she was very close to her due date. (At least, she thought she was. Her doctor's visits had been so few and far between that her progress had not been properly monitored. Even the date of conception had been a rough estimate based on the timings of Anakin's visits.) But would it wait until after she and Anakin had succeeded in creating a new life for themselves? What if it didn't? Would they be able to handle both parenthood _and_ the task of establishing new identities?

Not wanting to even think about it, she stepped out of the shower.

Her gaze fell on the pile of dirty clothing lying on the floor where she had left them. They were sweat-stained and reeked of Mustafar's sulfuric atmosphere. She wished she could just incinerate them, destroying yet another piece of evidence of that nightmare, but washing them was her only option. They were all she had to wear.

In her desperation to reach Anakin, she had neglected to make the proper preparations for carrying out her plans. She had been so consumed with finding him that she had not bothered to think about what would happen _after_ she found him. And because of that, she had left Coruscant with no supplies other than what had already been on her ship. 

Not even money.

She sank down onto the lid of the toilet seat, more than a little disgusted with herself. How could she have been so careless? Credits were the key to their survival. Of all the things that she could have forgotten! Her lifelong curse of acting without thinking had struck again. (Would she ever be able to break the habit?) How was she going to get them out of this mess? 

Money was the most important component of their plan. Without credits, they could not buy any of the things they needed, food and water chiefly among them. They could not refuel their ship. They couldn't change their identities... 

Assuming new identities alone would cost a great deal of money. As they had already discussed, they had to alter their physical appearances. Both of them had been high-profile figures in the Republic and both could be easily recognized by someone looking for them. Drastic changes had to be made. Hair and eye colors. Style of dress.

_Everything._

Senator Padmé Amidala and Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker had to cease to exist. But that would not happen as long as they had no credits to their name. 

Which meant she had to get some as soon as possible. But how? 

She could not risk accessing any of her personal accounts. If they weren't yet being monitored, they soon would be. It would not take long for her absence from Coruscant to be noticed, especially by Palpatine. And when he also noticed that his apprentice had disappeared... According to Anakin, he had known about their marriage practically from the beginning. He would realize that she was responsible for Anakin's disappearance and come after her with a vengeance. 

She tried to compile a mental list of ways to earn money quickly, but had little success. Everything she could think of was either illegal (stealing) or distasteful (gambling). The honest means all took time to pay off, time that they did not have the luxury to afford. So what did that leave? Begging? Selling? 

Selling seemed the least offensive, but what did she have to sell? There was nothing of value aboard the ship. It had not been designed for long journeys. The ship itself was worth more...

The ship! They could sell the ship!

It was the perfect solution. They had already decided that they had to abandon the ship. Nubian vehicles were not common outside of the Core Worlds and it would attract too much unwanted attention. It was better to be rid of it before they began looking for a new home. So instead of leaving it somewhere and then buying a new ship, they would sell it and use the credits to buy a more practical and common model. All leftover credits could be used for supplies.

Of course, in order to sell the ship and buy another, they would need disguises. Until they had the tools to completely reinvent themselves, they would have to find a temporary way of changing their appearances. They could not risk being identified.

She stood up and walked over to the sink so she could peer into the mirror mounted above it. She gazed at her reflection, studying it. What was it about her face that made her unique? What features set her apart from everyone else, including her similar-looking handmaidens? What defined her as Padmé Amidala, senator of Naboo?

It was ironic. Despite spending most of her life in the public eye, she had never paid too much attention to her appearance. She had left that up to her numerous consultants and advisors. They had taught her how to dress and present herself, which aspects of herself to play up and which to hide, and she had done exactly as they said. Her choices were almost automatic. She doubted she knew what her own personal style was. She had never had a choice in the matter.

She continued to search her face, but she could not find anything special or outstanding about it. (Although she had been constantly told that she was "attractive" and "beautiful," she had always assumed the compliments were made out of courtesy or obligation. The only times she truly believed the words were meant were when Anakin spoke them.) In fact, she found herself to be rather plain. She was obviously missing something, but what?

Perhaps...

"Padmé?" 

_Anakin!_

There was a gentle knocking on the door.

"Are you all right in there?"

"I'm fine," she assured him, the guilt of leaving him alone rushing back to the surface. She had feared his waking for this very reason. She could hear the worry in his voice.

Abandoning her quest, she turned from the mirror. Analyzing her features would have to wait. Anakin needed her.

She went to the refresher door and keyed it open.

Anakin was standing just outside the door, an anxious expression on his face. 

He immediately moved towards her, pulling her into his arms.

"Are you...? Is the baby...?"

"We're both perfectly fine," she told him, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning against him. "Everything's all right, my love." 

"I woke up and you weren't there," he continued, tightening his arms around her. "When I couldn't find you..."

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I shouldn't have gotten up without telling you. But you were sleeping so peacefully and I didn't see the need to disturb you. I know you haven't been sleeping well and..."

She trailed off, realizing her mistake. She had referenced the very thing she had made him promise to never mention again. She braced herself for his reaction, praying it would not be as bad as the last...

She felt his muscles tense and waited, feeling even more guilty than before. It was obvious he had had the dream again and it was what had awakened him. 

After several heartbeats of silence, he finally spoke.

"All I care about is you. You're all that matters. As long as I know you're all right.

"I can't lose you, Padmé."

"You won't," she insisted, running her hands along his back. "I promise."

"I love you so much," he said quietly. "And I'm so afraid..."

"I love you too," she said, still stroking his back, trying to force him to relax. "I'm not going anywhere, Anakin. I'm here and I'll always be here."

She felt him kiss the top of her head.

"I love you," he repeated.

They remained as they were for several more moments and Padmé could feel some of the tension begin to drain out of him. Having her in his arms seemed to reassure him in ways her words never could. 

Suddenly, she shivered as the cooler air of the main cabin began to seep into the warm refresher.

She felt him immediately tense up again.

"What is it?" he questioned, the worry back in his voice. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she assured him, resuming her ministrations to his back. "I'm just a little cold, that's all. I just took a shower and I'm still slightly damp." 

And with that, she shivered again. 

Without a word, Anakin moved the two of them deeper inside the tiny 'fresher, never letting her out of his embrace. 

"Better?"

She nodded against his chest. "Much. Thank you."

"Someone very wise once told me that space is cold," he continued, his tone lighter than it had been. She took it as a sign that he was starting to feel better. "And then she covered me with a blanket."

"Wise _and_ practical," Padmé said with a smile. She remembered the incident well. He had been a scared nine-year-old boy who had just been separated from his mother whom had been his entire world. She had felt an overwhelming compassion for the child she had barely begun to know and had wanted to ease his pain. Little had she known what that compassion would lead to ten years later... 

"But your arms are warmer than any blanket could ever be," she informed him. "I could stay in them forever."

"If it were possible, I'd hold you forever," he told her seriously. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you.

"Nothing."

She knew he meant what he said. He had already proven it once by going to the dark side for her.

_Only_ for her... 

"Just love me," she quietly urged him. "Love me as much as I love you. Your love is all I've ever wanted... _needed_ from you. Nothing else matters. Just your love.

"Just you." 

"Padmé..." he murmured, loosening his hold on her, which allowed her to meet his eyes.

"I love you, Anakin," she told him once again. "You're everything to me."

"I love you," he echoed, beginning to stroke her back as she had earlier stroked his. 

And then she kissed him.

It was deep and passionate, a perfect reflection of the love she felt for him. He was the best thing in her life and she wanted him to know it, to _feel_ it. She loved him completely. As she had told him several times in the last several hours, he was her everything. She would do anything to protect him, to keep him safe. 

Even something that everyone else had believed impossible...

She felt him immediately begin to respond to her kiss. He returned all of her passion and then doubled it. His hands increased speed as they slid along her back, creating sensations deep within her that she had not felt in months... 

Without a second thought, she relinquished control of the kiss, allowing him to direct their next actions. After three years of marriage, it had become almost instinctive. She always allowed him to dominate their lovemaking... 

Anakin finally ended the kiss and Padmé sensed that he did so with reluctance.

She hadn't wanted him to stop either. It had been too long...

"I should probably let you finish up in here," he said, still holding her close and kneading her back. "I'm sorry I interrupted you."

"It's all right, my love," she told him. "It was my fault. I should have told you I was leaving the bed."

He kissed her again. "As long as you're safe. That's all that matters."

She refrained from commenting, out of worry that he would become upset again. His fear was finally starting to dissipate. 

"What are you going to do now that you're up?" she asked instead.

"I'll probably go check on Threepio and Artoo," he told her. "I'd like to make sure they're sticking to the course I plotted. You know how Artoo is."

She smiled at that. Artoo had a tendency to try to be "helpful" and "correct" hyperspace routes that he felt were inefficient. Although Anakin had pointedly told him that he had purposely chosen an erratic route, she wouldn't put it past the little droid to believe he knew better than his master. 

"Have fun," she teased. "I'm going to go back to bed after I'm finished in here. I'm still tired." 

"I'll join you as soon as I'm done with the droids," he promised. "See you then?"

She nodded.

He kissed her again and then released her from his arms.

But as she stepped back, the towel she had wrapped around her body fell away, having obviously been dislodged by Anakin's hands.

Anakin sucked in his breath as he took in her exposed form.

Padmé experienced a momentary twinge of discomfort. She had grown so used to hiding her condition that it felt strange to have it displayed so openly. Until this moment, her handmaidens had been the only other beings to view her pregnant body uncovered by clothing. To have someone else see it, to stare at it so intensely... 

"Oh, Padmé," he breathed. 

Although they had been reunited for several days, events had prevented them from being intimate. The first night he had returned, he had come to her apartment very late after his lengthy debriefing to the Council. They had done nothing more than kiss before going to sleep. And then his dream had started... He had never had the chance to see her this way before now. 

She could see the wonder in his eyes as they studied her swollen belly. And the love...

Her discomfort vanished instantly.

"Oh, Padmé," he repeated, slowly moving closer to her.

He began to reach out a tentative hand, but he pulled it back as if he were afraid to touch her. His questioning eyes met hers.

She gave him a gentle smile and took his hand in both of hers. She had not seen him this way since their wedding night, when he had been reluctant to touch her out of fear of hurting her. (How times had changed since that night of first discovery...) 

"Here," she told him softly. "It's all right." And then she pressed his palm against her belly.

Anakin made a sound and dropped his eyes to where she held his hand. 

"We...did this," he murmured in awe. "We _made_ this. Our child." 

"Our love created him," she quietly said. "I don't think any child could ask for a better father. You have so much love in you, Anakin. Our child is already blessed."

He looked up at her. "And his mother?"

She immediately realized her mistake. She had slipped again and inadvertently reminded him of his dream. How could she have been so careless? 

She reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand. "She already loves both of you very much," she told him. "And she's not going anywhere. I promise, my love."

"I can't..."

"You won't," she soothed. "The three of us will be safe."

His hand remaining where it was, he leaned down to kiss her once more.

"Go check on the droids," she urged him as they parted. "I'll be waiting for you."

"I've changed my mind," he said. "I don't want to leave you."

"I'll be all right," she told him. She smiled at him. "Besides, you'll get bored in here. All I'm going to do is wash out my clothes."

"I don't mind," he insisted. He sighed. "I... I just need to stay with you for a while. Let me stay. Please."

She knew it was pointless to argue with him. He was terrified for her safety again and the only way for him to put his fears to rest was to stay by her side. He _needed_ to be there to protect her. 

"All right," she relented, angry at herself for her mistake. (These slips _had_ to stop. She couldn't keep doing this to him.) 

He kissed her again to show his gratitude then he moved away from her.

She started to bend down to retrieve the towel but he held out a hand to stop her.

"Let me," he said and he picked it up from where it had fallen.

"Thank you," she told him as she reached to take it from him.

He pulled it away and shook his head. "I haven't finished."

She knew what he was doing. He was trying to make himself useful so she wouldn't think that he was in the way. It was a very sweet gesture.

She held out her arms and waited.

Anakin gently wrapped the towel back around her and secured it as well as he could.

"Is there anything else I can do?" he asked as he moved away from her.

She shook her head and gestured towards the closed toilet. "Go ahead and have a seat. I'm fine."

Without a word, Anakin followed her instructions. And then he fixed his gaze on her.

There was a time when she had been unnerved to have Anakin watch her the way he did. His stare was so...intense. It was as if he could see into her very soul. She had never experienced anything like it before or since he had entered her life. No one's gaze could affect her as Anakin's did. 

But after years of marriage, she had gotten used to it. It no longer distracted her from whatever task she was doing when he began to silently watch her. It had never mattered _what_ she was doing. When Anakin wanted to watch her, he watched her. Sometimes, she didn't even notice his approach. She would suddenly sense his eyes on her and turn to find him standing there. 

"This won't take too long," she promised as she gathered the pile of soiled garments from the floor.

She felt his eyes follow her as she brought the clothes to the sink and started to soak them. While the sink filled, she went over to the shower and retrieved the bottle of soap. Returning to the sink, she squeezed in a decent amount of the cleanser and began to rub it into the filthy material. 

When the sink had nearly filled, she cut off the water and continued to cover every bit of material with the soap. She wanted to erase all traces of Mustafar from them. She wondered if one washing would even be enough.

A thought occurred to her. Anakin had been down on the planet far longer than she had. It would probably be a good idea for him to shower and wash his clothes before they tried to sell the ship. They would want to make a good impression on the buyer if they hoped to receive a fair price for the spacecraft.

But before she made that suggestion, she needed to inform him of their dilemma.

"Anakin," she began, "there's something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

She took a breath. As long as she remained calm and spoke confidently, he would have no reason to get upset. (He did not have to know how upset _she_ had initially been.) She had already come up with a plan to rectify her mistakes. All she was doing was telling him about it. 

"When I left Coruscant to find you," she explained, "I left behind a number of things that we needed. Important things."

"What kinds of things?" he questioned, already sounding concerned.

She turned to look at him. "Credits, for one. We have no money." 

His eyes widened and then he opened his mouth as if to speak.

She held up a hand and he remained silent. "I already have a plan on how to get some money. I'm going to sell this ship." 

He nodded.

"We were going to abandon it anyway," she went on. "We can use the credits we receive from selling this to replace everything I left as well as a new ship."

"You've given this a lot of thought," he said. He paused. "When?"

She knew what he meant. "Shortly after we left Mustafar."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to worry you," she confessed. "You already had enough on your mind."

He got up and came over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "And you don't?"

"I promised to protect you," she told him. "And I meant it."

He kissed her shoulder. "It's a good plan. What else do we need?"

"Food, water, clothes," she listed as she opened the sink drain and began to rinse her clothing out. "And that's not even factoring the items we'll require to change our appearances."

"We'll take it one step at a time," he told her, starting to sound like himself again.

Padmé smiled. Her revelations had had an unexpected side effect. They had taken Anakin's mind off of his fears. 

"When you're up to it, you should shower and wash your clothes out too," she told him. "How long before we reach our destination?"

"If Artoo hasn't made any adjustments, two days," he informed her. 

"That should give us enough time to create disguises," she thought aloud. "Just something to temporarily mask our appearances so no one will recognize us," she elaborated. 

She saw him nod his agreement in the mirror.

She finished rinsing out her clothes and gently extricated herself from his embrace.

"Once we have our new ship and resupply our food and water, we can seriously start thinking about creating our new identities," she continued as she began to hang up her wet things from the bar above the shower. "I'm hoping we can have them established by the time our baby arrives." She looked over her shoulder and smiled. "Otherwise the name will look strangely incomplete on the birth certificate."

Anakin smiled back, his first true smile in days. It was radiant and made her heart soar. He never looked more handsome than when he was smiling at her.

She returned her attention to her task. "Speaking of our baby, as soon as I found out I was pregnant, I started thinking about names. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not," he assured her. "Did you pick any?"

"Two," she told him as she hung up the last item. "Luke if it's a boy and Leia if it's a girl." She finished with the clothes and turned back to him. "What do you think?"

"I like them," he said, still smiling. "A lot."

"I'm glad," she said walking towards him. "It took me a long time just to get down to those two."

He moved to intercept her and drew her back into his arms. 

"I'm finished in here now," she told him. "I'm ready to go back to bed."

"Let's go."

He released her but took one of her hands into his.

She gave him another smile and squeezed his hand.

"I love you," she told him once more.

"And I love you."

She smiled again and went to exit the 'fresher, gently tugging on his hand so he would follow.

However, as her bare foot made contact with deck plating, the cold shocked her and she practically jumped backwards.

"That's-"

But before she could finish her sentence, she found herself being lifted into her husband's strong arms and carried the short distance from the refresher to the bed.

Anakin gently deposited her onto the mattress and quickly bundled her up in the covers before sitting down beside her.

"You keep forgetting your own advice," he softly teased. 

She smiled, overjoyed by the fact that he was joking with her. If he was able to be playful, it meant he had pushed his fears aside for the time being.

They would stay gone if she had anything to say about it.

"I guess I didn't plan any of this very well," she grinned. "But I do get some credit for trying, right?"

"I don't know," Anakin playfully shot back. "You _have_ gotten us into a pretty big mess."

"How can I ever make it up to you?"

"Hmm, I'll have to think about it," he said as he reached out to caress her cheek.

Padmé closed her eyes at the gentle touch, letting the feelings it evoked wash over her. How she had missed such simple contact while he had been away...

They fell into a comfortable silence as he continued to stroke her skin. 

"You really are beautiful," he spoke after a while, his tone turning serious. "And it has nothing to do with our love for each other. You just are."

His assertion reminded her of her failed attempt at assessing her face.

"Why?" she questioned, opening her eyes to look into his. "Why am I beautiful? What is it about me?"

"Where do I even begin?" he said, his hand still on her face, caressing her. "It's everything about you."

"Tell me," she urged.

He moved his hand, lightly gliding his fingers over her skin.

"There's your eyes." He touched each feature as he named it. "Your nose. Your lips."

She smiled beneath his fingers.

"The way you glow from within," he continued, removing his hand. "It's why I thought you were an angel the very first time I laid eyes on you."

He repositioned himself so that his face was almost touching hers.

"And you are."

And then he kissed her, gently and sweetly.

She instinctively went to put her arms around him, but found that she was trapped by the blanket Anakin had so tightly wrapped around her. And while her head was free of that unintentional restraint, her mouth was being held prisoner by his own. All she could do was return his kiss, which she did passionately.

The kiss slowly but surely deepened and intensified. The sensations she had all-too-briefly felt earlier returned full force, again reminding her how long it had been since they had last made love. Her body craved what only he could give her...

At last he ended the kiss, but he did not pull his face away from hers.

"I almost lost you today," he quietly said. "And it was all my fault."

"Anakin..." His kiss had left her breathing heavily, making it difficult to speak. 

"What I did... I hurt you so badly. I don't deserve your love anymore," he continued. "Yet I still have it." He kissed her again, this time on her jaw. "I still have you.

"I love you, Padmé."

She could not find the words to respond to him. All she knew was that she loved him so much. He was her entire life. She would never leave him if she could help it.

_Never._

He gave her more kisses, each one progressively lower. Her chin, then her neck. She loved the feel of his lips on her body... 

"You saved me." 

She was completely aroused when he kissed her neck again. She longed to have him kiss her everywhere, but the blanket was in the way. 

"Anakin..." she murmured as he pushed himself back into a sitting position.

Without another word, he began to carefully free her from the covers, once again exposing her body to the chilly cabin air.

However she felt nothing but heat being produced by her own body. His touches had ignited her from within. She ached for more...

He returned to her and began to kiss her shoulders and chest.

She could not help but moan. His lips felt so wonderful...

But his kisses could only go so far. She was still wearing the towel over the rest of her body.

The towel that did nothing to conceal her condition...

Anakin looked up at her, concern on his face.

"Should we be doing this?" he asked. "Will it harm the baby?"

"I don't know," she honestly answered. "I never discussed this with my doctors. You were away. The situation didn't come up until now."

"I don't want to hurt either of you."

"I know."

"Maybe we should stop," he suggested, sitting up again.

"No," she urged, placing a hand on his arm. "Don't."

She knew that he was just trying to protect her, but she _needed_ this. They had been apart for so long. She burned for his touch. She _needed_ him to make love to her... 

"Only if you're sure," he said hesitantly.

Despite his misgivings, she knew he would do whatever she asked. 

He _always_ did. 

"I'm sure," she told him. "I want this, Anakin.

"I need you."

He was silent for a moment and then he nodded.

"How far do you want to take this?" he questioned as he bent over to take off his boots. "I mean, what shouldn't we do?"

"We'll go by how I feel," she said. "If I get uncomfortable, we'll stop."

He finished with his boots and then began to undo his utility belt.

"The moment anything starts hurting, you tell me immediately," he insisted, removing the belt with his lightsaber still attached and dropping it onto the floor. He pulled off the glove that covered his artificial hand and discarded it as well. "Your health is more important than anything. Waiting a little longer is worth it if it means you and the baby are okay." 

"I'll tell you, I promise," she told him. "But I want us to try. Please, Anakin. Please."

He nodded again and they fell into silence once more. She watched him as he stripped of the multiple layers that comprised the traditional Jedi garb. Finally, only his pants remained, but he curiously made no move to remove them. Then he returned his complete attention to his wife.

Still not saying a word, he undid the towel and slowly opened it.

"So beautiful," he murmured, breaking the silence as he gently caressed the side of her body. He pulled the towel from beneath her and tossed it onto the floor with everything else. He then pressed a kiss between her breasts.

"Anakin..."

"Tell me what you want," he urged, running a hand down the front of her body. 

She shuddered beneath his touch.

"What you need."

"Kiss me," she barely managed.

He obliged, moving back to her mouth and kissing her deeply.

This time there was noi obstacle to keep her arms from wrapping around him.

The kiss was significantly deeper and more intense than all of the ones that came before and she suddenly understood why she was the only one completely naked. Despite his protests, _he_ wanted this as much as she did but was afraid that he would do too much too fast as had often happened when they made love for the first time after a lengthy separation. He was again trying to protect her. 

Even now, he was putting her first.

After a while, he left her lips and moved onto her chin. Then her neck, chest...

She gasped as he reached her breasts.

He spent time lavishing them with attention before continuing ever downward with his mouth.

If she could have, she would have arched against him.

He was especially tender as he kissed and caressed her belly.

"We're not the only excited ones," he commented when she felt the baby begin to stir and she laughed.

The baby always seemed to become active when she was excited or agitated. However, she had learned to ignore it out of necessity.

"I love you, Padmé," he said again, continuing to kiss her.

"I love you," she echoed as his kisses trailed lower still.

And then his mouth was exactly where she wanted, no, _needed,_ it the most.

"Anakin!" she cried, moaning and gasping in pleasure. What he was doing to her... The feeling was indescribable.

Overwhelming.

Pure ecstasy.

When she came, it was glorious.

His mouth remained where it was even after the spasms had ended, still kissing and coaxing a new arousal.

"Stars..."

She would never cease to be amazed by her husband's skills as a lover. The things he did to her... (They were even more amazing considering that he had been more nervous than she was on their wedding night.) He knew how to pleasure her completely.

Under his ministrations, she climaxed again.

Finally, his mouth moved away, kissing the insides of her thighs before he began to ascend her body, retracing his earlier journey. 

Everything was touched a second time, each kiss eliciting a sound of pleasure from her. She was in complete and total ecstasy.

Or she would have been if not for the frenzied movements of her active baby. He had yet to settle down. In fact, the movements had increased after each orgasm. She was growing more and more uncomfortable with every passing second.

But she would _not_ tell Anakin. He would only stop and that was the last thing she wanted. They had not made love in months. She _needed_ this and it was obvious that he did too. She could ignore the ache for a little while longer...

When Anakin had reached her neck, he did something unexpected. Instead of returning to her mouth, he stopped kissing her and crawled over her. He moved so he was laying beside her and then gently reached out to turn her onto her side.

The change in position immediately relieved the discomfort.

"Anakin..." 

"Shh," he hushed her as he pulled her against him. He kissed the back of her neck and began to caress the front of her body. 

"I kissed you," he murmured in her ear. "Tell me what else you want."

"Anything," she breathed and meant it. It did not matter what he did to her. It was always exquisite.

"Would you like me to touch you?" he suggested, moving his hand lower until it came to rest between her thighs. "What about right here?"

"Yes..."

And then he pushed his fingers into her.

"Anakin!" 

"I love you so much," he told her as he pleasured her, kissing the back of her neck. "Oh, my Padmé. My love."

"My sweet Ani," she barely managed between gasps. "I love you."

She pressed against him, the pressure building within yet again. It would not be long...

Suddenly she became aware of something hard digging into her back. Immediately, she realized what it was and felt a wave of guilt. Anakin was aroused and she had no idea of how she could tend to his need. 

Why hadn't she thought to ask her doctors about the possibility of sexual intercourse? Could the very act that caused the pregnancy really endanger it?

But she didn't know and _that_ was the problem. As much as she longed to be joined with her husband, she feared the unknown risks to her baby. Their child meant so much to both of them. She would _not_ do anything to harm him. 

Her mind had barely begun to form another thought when the pressure broke and she orgasmed once more.

She cried out, overcome by the sensations.

She felt Anakin still kissing her neck and shoulders.

"What would you like me to do now?" he questioned as she struggled to bring her breathing under control. He moved his fingers, which were still inside of her. "More of this?"

She gasped.

"Oh..."

"Anything you want," he murmured, never ceasing his caresses. "As many times as you want."

"Y-your turn," she barely managed. "Let me touch you."

"No," he turned her down. "I want this to be all about you, my love. This is my gift to you. For saving me."

"Anakin..."

He intensified his manipulation and she moaned.

"All for you."

Padmé knew that it would be pointless to try to argue. He had made up his mind and was adamant about his decision. And as long as he was touching that way he was, he was in complete control of the situation.

She had no choice but to submit to him.

She simply shut her eyes and let herself experience the sensations he was expertly creating inside of her.

She came a fourth time.

"What next?"

"I want you to kiss me again," she breathlessly commanded. "Just kiss me. That's all I want. A simple kiss." 

"Yes, milady," he teasingly acknowledged, withdrawing his hand and turning her around in his arms. 

"Anakin," she managed before he fulfilled her demand.

The kiss was exactly as she had asked it to be. It was sweet and simple and filled with their love for each other. 

It was her favorite kind of kiss.

She smiled against his mouth, thankful that they were together like this at this very moment. She knew how close she had come to losing him completely to the dark side. He loved her so much and was so intensely afraid of losing her that he had been driven to commit sickening acts because he believed that they would enable him to save her. But it was that very same love that had ultimately brought him back. Back to the light.

Back to _her._

Their love had achieved the impossible.

"What would you like now?" he softly spoke after ending the kiss. 

"Just to be held in your arms," she told him. "Nothing more."

He nodded and then planted a light kiss of her forehead before drawing her closer to him. He held her tightly and gently stroked her back.

"My Padmé..."

"I love you," she said.

"I love you," he responded.

And no more words needed to be spoken for a long time afterwards.


End file.
